


This Strange New World Above

by meepmorpperaltiago



Series: The Little Mermaid [1]
Category: Brooklyn Nine Nine
Genre: AU, F/M, Mermaids, The little mermaid - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-20 08:03:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19372591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meepmorpperaltiago/pseuds/meepmorpperaltiago
Summary: Aka a b99 Little Mermaid AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been so excited about this concept because I love writing fantasy stuff like this! This story is going to take elements of the original fairy tale, the Disney version and I’m adding some of my own stuff in too - hope you like this first chapter. Also, if you were wondering, the title is from a song in the Broadway musical. 

The ocean is blue. Sure, that might seem like an obvious statement, but this ocean is a deep, sapphire set against golden sand. Jake feels the waves crashing around his legs. He swears somewhere, he sees a flash of a blue tail and hears a siren’s song. 

Then the scene slowly fades and he’s in a hospital room. 

 It all comes flooding back, slowly and then all at once. The cold dark and damp alley. The gunshots. The hands on him as he was rushed to the ambulance. He wants to get up, to move, to do anything, but he’s stuck, trapped in thin bedsheets and under harsh lights.

Even when he finally can move, he still feels stuck as the Doctor tells him every gory detail of the damage done to his leg. All he can think is “this isn’t fair”. It’s not fair when he has to see all his friends go on with work while he’s forced to retire from the force. It’s not fair that they all get to roll on with their lives whilst he comes to a stop, stricken with grief over all that he’s lost. He sits in his apartment all day, not moving, not thinking. Until he decides that this awful new normal isn’t enough. 

When he tells the rest of the squad that he’s moving away, they look devastated but they understand. Even Charles tells him that it’s the right decision whilst openly sobbing. So he moves to a beach house, in a tiny town called Westport Landing. His life is a lot quieter than his days as a cop, but it’s peaceful. He sails, he walks across the beach, he goes to nearby amusement parks, he levels up on his guitar skills. Pre-injury Jake would’ve been bored stiff, but after everything he’s lost, he’s happy to have a calm and peaceful life. Sometimes he still thinks he sees flashes of tails in vibrant colours, but then he brushes it off. He’s pretty lonely, but overall he’s happy. 

-

Looking back, Amatheia was never really satisfied with her ocean life. She loved her family, the clear water with sparkling salt crystals, swimming with her long orange tail, her hair swaying with the current of the ocean. But there was always something missing. 

As she got older, she started to read the books that would come from shipwrecks. She found a hidden cave and started to collect them, lining them up in perfect order, poring over every page, even though they’d sway and move in the water. She’d lay down at the bottom of that cave, the sand sweeping up around her with every movement, learning about the world above the ocean, the world she’d never been allowed to visit, lost in fantasies of an imaginary human life. 

She has it all planned out in her head – she would live in a proper house, not the caves that mermaids live in. She’d have a human name and a last name too, like she’s read that humans have – she’d probably shorten her name to Amy and as for her last name, she’d choose something from one of her books. One of her favourite books was a list of world capitals and she’d always pore over every page – one image that particularly caught her attention was a gorgeous picture of Santiago, the capital of Chillie – or was it   
Chile? That would be her name. Amy Santiago. 

She’d still swim, but instead of moving her tail she would move long legs. She wouldn’t have any annoying brothers to compete with, she’d be able to do anything that she wanted to do, go anywhere that she wanted to go. 

It was pretty normal to see sailing ships, and boats, especially when you got closer to where the coast was –she would often watch the ships and wonder about the lives of the people on board. Sometimes, they’d fall overboard, but they’d usually swim back up to the surface pretty quickly. At first she’d wondered why they’d swum away so quickly, had wondered what was wrong with the ocean, until one of her brothers had told her what drowning was. 

When she’d first seen him fall in, she assumed it would be the same – but he fell further and further and her heart began to sink. There was something wrong with his leg, he tried to move but he couldn’t. 

The next few minutes were a blur as she raced up to the surface and dragged him back to shore. She hadn’t had a proper chance to look at his face on the journey to the beach – but as soon as she saw him, her world shifted forever. There was something in his face, his nose, the dimple on his chin, the curl of his hair, that sent her heart plummeting into her stomach. She watched him for a few minutes, mesmerised. Until he woke up and she saw his beautiful eyes become alert. Not knowing what to do, she fled back to the ocean. As she tried to process everything that she’d felt on the beach, all she knew was that she had to see him again. 

-

He must’ve hallucinated. That was the only explanation for the impossibly beautiful woman he’d seen when he’d woken – he might’ve believed she was real, if he hadn’t seen an orange tail entering the water.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to @397bartonstreet for helping me iron out the creases in the plot today! Hope you all enjoy this new chapter.

Amy had felt imprisoned in her ocean life before, but now the bars were closing in. 

She loved the tradition and rules that steeped every inch of mermaid life, but the need for freedom that had always been within her only grew stronger each day. And now there was even more reason for her to want to go to the surface unaccompanied, outside of the packs that merpeople always travelled great lengths in. 

When she went to her grotto of books an increasing amount of her thoughts were about the man she’d rescued – what he might be like, what he might be doing now, what he would think of her underwater world. 

She’d always been afraid to use the magic that resides in the souls of all mermaids, too scared that she’d hurt somebody or hurt herself. She was all too aware of the dangers of untrained powers, the shipwreck she’d caused the first time she’d tried as a child still haunting her. She had no idea if the damage to her powers has lasted and she didn’t want to find out.  

But in the fantasies she was forever crafting, she would use it to create legs, she would finally go to the world where she’d always felt she truly belonged, she would find him and they would embrace and they would be so, so happy. 

One day, whilst she was happily swimming along in this dream world, she felt a sharp pull on her arm. Her brother Aalton yanked her into dark shadows with a fierce, questioning look. 

“Braden said he saw you swim up to the surface – you know we can’t do that alone”, he spat angrily. 

“It was fine–“

“No, it’s not fine! It’s not even about how you could’ve been hurt. It’s who we are, Amatheia, you can’t just do whatever the hell you want whenever you feel like it…” 

Exasperation grew in his voice, whilst fire grew in hers as she responded. 

“But don’t you ever want more? Don’t you ever want to explore and see the world, instead of just swimming around some stupid reef, going in circles for the rest of your life? Maybe there are some rules that I want to break sometimes”

“We’re merpeople, Amatheia! We don’t break rules!”

“Well then maybe I wasn’t meant to be a mermaid!”, she shouted fiercely. 

After a moment’s silence, Aalton spoke quietly.  

“This isn’t you…you’re the most by-the-book person I know…”

“But that doesn’t mean I love to be restricted like this. I’m sorry, but I just can’t live like this anymore….” 

“What are you going to do?”, he questioned. 

“I don’t know”, she said quietly. In reality, she knew exactly what she was going to do. 

What no one knew was that she’d been venturing further and further out the more her despair with the mer-world grew. And on one of those occasions, she’d been pulled towards a dark cave by an eerie echoing song, the delicate notes filling her mind and then dissolving it entirely as she’d gone further and further in, possessed and turned to a puppet by the music, dark strings ensnaring her mind and muscles, pulling her further and further into the dark shadows like a moth to a flame. When she’d come to her senses and seen the woman in front of her, she’d realised what had happened. She’d entered the dwelling of a siren. 

She’d only heard of these creatures in myths. They were like mermaids in almost every way, except they had dark black eyes and they lacked mermaids’ powers – their only magic they had were their hypnotic voices, which they could use to bend any passers-by to their every whim. She’d introduced herself as Seraphina and had shown Amy the magic she herself had somehow gained, sprinkling dazzling lights across the cave which had once again mesmerised her, stopping her in her tracks as she had groggily made a feeble attempt to swim away. 

“I’ve been watching you”, she’d said from the shadows in sweet, delicate tones, pulling her across the cave with beckoning gestures, Amy’s mind still undone from the lights and the song. 

“Poor sweet mermaid, you must feel so alone. You want to be human, huh? And you’re in love with that human man you rescued – not that I blame you there, looking at him, I’d use a song or two on him if I was on land… anyway, I brought you here for a reason. I can give you what you want.”

That had snapped Amy back into reality.                                      

 “What do you mean?”, she’d asked, curious, the spell finally starting to wear off. 

“Well, I also know that you’re afraid to use magic yourself. I can help you. I can turn you human – if you’re willing to make a deal with me…” 

Now, it was a chance at her dream becoming real that compelled her to stay.

“I know a spell that will turn you human for a month – you’ll have a full 30 days to win the heart of the man you love, for only a few quid pro quos”

“And what are those quid pro quos?”, Amy had asked, growing increasingly wary of the siren. She listed of her terms before Amy even had a chance to speak. 

“First of all, you’ll have to give me your voice – second of all, if any magic is used on land, the deal will immediately be invalidated and will default to the other person, if they become aware of it. Third, walking may hurt a little… and the third is my prize if you fail to win your man over…”

“And what’s that?”, Amy had asked, fear growing in her voice. 

“Your soul. How do you think I got this magic in the first place? Don’t be so shocked – you’re not the only merperson who’s been desperate enough to trust a siren” 

At that, Amy had swum away – no love or desire for freedom was worth risking her life like that. 

“I’m always here if you want to take my offer…”, she’d called out as Amy had fled. 

Now, she’s headed straight back towards that cave, willingly this time. She’s left a note behind for her family, explaining that she’s gone to live a human life. She knows it’s crazy, but this is her only chance – it’s a risk she was going to have to take. 

Serafina’s features light up when Amy say she’ll take her offer. She soon gives Amy a potion, which fizzes on her tongue and had then stops its movement entirely.  

“You’d better swim quickly, little mermaid!” Seraphina calls out as Amy rushes to the surface. 

-

It’s not unusual to see passers by strolling along the beach, especially considering Jake’s house has a direct view of it. What was unusual though, was people washing up onto the beach. Especially drenched, naked women. If that wasn’t bizarre enough, she seems to be coughing up water. He runs to help her, his old instincts from back in Brooklyn kicking in. 

“Hey, are you ok?” he said, his eyes squeezed shut to avoid looking like a pervert. But there was no answer. He slowly opened an eye, firmly looking upwards, only to see the woman looking at him with a curious gaze. He thought he recognised her face from somewhere, but couldn’t quite place it, so let it go. 

 

“What’s your name?”, he tries to ask, before he notices the agony on her face as she steps forward. 

“Are you ok, are you hurt?”. Still no answer. 

“How about if I take you back to my place to dry off, would that be ok?” – for some reason she beams at that. 

They get back to his house in about 20 seconds and whilst she’s putting on the towel he quickly gives her (his embarrassment only increases when she holds it up as if she’s never seen one before, clearly having no idea what to do with it and he has to put it around her himself). He grabs a random whiteboard from a shelf and hands it to her, showing her how to use the pen that goes with it. 

She quickly writes her name on the board. 

“Nice to meet you, Amy”


	3. Chapter 3

Day one 

The blue of the ceiling reminds her of the ocean. She stares up at it, still wrapped in the thing Jake had given her – she thinks it might be called a towool? 

He’d shown her around this room and had shown her how to use the strange contraption next door that sprayed out water and had explained how to get the sea salt out of her hair when she’d looked at the lotions inside in confusion. Then he’d left to “get her a few things”, whatever that meant.

She’d felt a strange sadness washing her hair, like she was scrubbing out the last of her home. But then she’d thought of the new beginning she had a chance at and her heart had glowed once again. 

Now, she can’t resist the urge to snoop and she runs quickly around the house, looking through every nook and cranny, finally able to explore a world that had previously only existed in her most cherished fantasies. 

The first time she’d taken a step on land, her face had twisted in agony. The pain hadn’t subsided, every step still feeling like sharp daggers piercing her skin – but she’s so happy to be here, to be with him, that she doesn’t care a bit. She would endure the worst agony in the world for this.

When he comes back carrying a rather large bag, she’s looking through the kitchen cupboards, marvelling at all the mysterious human foods she’s never seen before. 

“Oh are you hungry? You can take anything you want, I’ve got cookies or candy or...”

She shakes her head, writing I’m ok, thank you on the board.

“Oh ok – look, I didn’t know your exact sizings, but I bought you some underwear, some pyjamas and a toothbrush”, he says, taking the items out of the bag. 

“And you can stay here as long as you like – if you want to stay for a little while longer, I could take you shopping for some actual clothes tomorrow?”

Her features soften at that and she gives him a beaming grin in response. 

“Ok”, he says, a smile growing on his face. She wonders if his heart is soaring in the same way hers is right now.

-

Later that night, when she’s sound asleep, he comes in to see if she’s ok – when he looks at her, he’s surprised to feel something shift in his chest. 

-

Day 2 

The next morning, Jake takes Amy out shopping as promised and she seems fascinated by everything she sees, running her hands across every silken fabric and marvelling at the array of textures in the various clothes. 

There’s something about her wonder at the world that he finds fascinating and enchanting. He hates to admit it, but ever since he moved to this town, his colourful childlike world has become dulled – she seems to embody everything he’s lost and even after only a day, he finds himself wanting more and more. 

“So...” he asks tentatively as they stroll through the mall with bags under their arms “where are you from?” 

She briefly hesitates, thinks for a moment and then writes: a small town pretty near here. But I was never really happy. I ran away the first chance I got. 

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that”, he responds sincerely. 

It’s ok – and what about you, Jake? What’s your story?

Now it’s his turn to take a pause. 

“I was... a cop. In Brooklyn. Then one day, my partner and I were supposed to ambush this gang going in from different sides. But there were so many more of them than we expected, with much more powerful weapons... luckily, we saw their numbers before the ambush and were able to call for back up, but as one of the criminals was at an angle and as he went down, he went crazy with his gun... wanted to go out in a blaze of glory I guess.... and I ended up with about six or seven bullets in my right leg. It got totally busted up and I had to give up the job that I loved. I couldn’t stand to be surrounded by my old life, so I moved here. But I’m ok, really.”

He’s surprised to see tears forming in her eyes when he finishes his story. 

I’m so sorry Jake, she writes. 

“It’s fine – like I said, I’m ok”, he responds. 

She takes his hand and they both feel a warmth in their hearts. 

-

Day 6 

“Ok Amy, since you’re sticking around, today I’m introducing you to the two most important things in my life”, he says – the expression she’s holding back tells him that she understands it’s going to be something silly already. 

She looks confused at the plastic casing of the Die Hard DVD and he realises with horror that she definitely hasn’t seen it before. But prior to putting the DVD into the player, he also gets out two jars of mayonnaise and opens up a bag of peanuts. 

Amy doesn’t look too keen on mayo nut spoonsies either – maybe he should reconsider letting her stay with him? 

Her expression when she takes her first spoonful says it all – but seems to be smiling, acting like she’s enjoying it for his sake. It’s incredibly endearing. 

I’m sorry, she writes on the board, biting her lip. 

“Hey, it’s ok” he says, taking her hand. He’s been doing that a lot recently – not that either of them mind. 

To his surprise, she becomes increasingly confused as Die Hard goes on and he has to hold her back when she reaches out to touch the TV. 

But eventually she settles into his side – and there’s that feeling again, like his chest is about to burst. 

His whole life, he’d scoffed at Disney movies where the couples fall for each other after just a glance – but now he feels it, that dizzy lightness that he’d thought only existed in fairytales. As he looks into her eyes and sees the affection that rests there, he has a feeling that she might be experiencing the same sensation. 

Could he really have fallen in love in only a week?

-

Day 13

Another week of Amy in his life and Jake’s never been happier. They get closer and closer, spending all their time together – he adores the silent laughs he produces from her and he gets to see that brilliant curiosity again when he takes her to a library and she shows him all the books in there that she’s read before, that she loves most. 

Everything feels like it’s looking up – his heart doesn’t ache when he FaceTimes his friends back in Brooklyn, he even gets a new neighbour, Sophia, who brings cookies on the first day she moves in to the house closest to theirs (he considers it their house, now that Amy is a permanent fixture in his life). 

One night, when he’s playing his Taylor Swift mixtape for the first time in months, Amy comes up and grabs him from behind, yanking him into to the centre of the room to jump around to Shake it Off. He’s never felt happier. Now, he knows the answer to the question he’d asked himself earlier. He knows for certain that, as impossible and crazy as it is, he’s hopelessly in love with Amy. 

-

Amy barely feels the stabbing pain in her feet as they giggle and dance to the music – she’s too giddy with love for Jake Peralta.


	4. Chapter 4

Day 14 

“So, are you two boning or what?”, Rosa says bluntly over the phone. 

“What? Rosa no we are not boning, we’re not even together, we’re just housemates”, Jake responds defensively. 

“But you like her?”

“Pfft, no. Ok, I like her so so much, I’m pretty much in love and it’s only been two weeks. That’s only like 400 viewings of Die Hard! What do I do, Rosa?” 

“Dude, just tell her how you feel”, Rosa responds in an exasperated tone, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“I don’t wanna”, Jake responds in a childish tone, stomping his foot a little. 

“Jake”, Rosa says as if she’s reprimanding a toddler. 

He sighs deeply and then continues. 

“Rosa, it’s been such a short time and she’s been through some stuff – and everything’s so nice right now, I don’t want to mess anything up, y’know?” 

“I get that, but if you never say anything, you’ll always regret it.”

“I guess you’re right”, he concedes, “but I want to think about it carefully first. Switching subjects for a moment, you’ll get to meet her soon – I’m so, so excited to see all of you   
tomorrow, I’ve missed the squad so much”

Rosa smiles at that.

“We’ve all missed you too”, she says in a surprising show of emotion. “See you next week”  
-  
Day 17 

Amy grows more and more nervous every second, looking at the clothes currently piled up on her bed. She wants everything to be absolutely perfect when she meets Jake’s friends for the first time, as they’re coming over for a barbecue, whatever that is, but she’s started to overthink everything, and all the contents of her closet seeming wrong. Finally, she finds a blue flowery dress that she’d knocked off the hanger whilst digging through her other clothes – she puts it on, looks at herself in the mirror and grins at how wonderful her life has become.   
-  
Day 18

Amy stands back as Jake greets his friends, before coming forward and shaking all of their hands, a human custom she remembered from reading it in a book.   
As they all sit having dinner together, she tries her best to remember all the correct ways that humans eat. When Jake had served her breakfast on her first morning on land, she’d followed his lead to eat the ketchup-covered yellow stuff she now knew was called Scrambled Eggs, waiting until he’d started, following the movements he’d made with the strange pieces of metal. During her time on land, she’d also been stunned by the sheer variety of human food, compared to the dull green kelp that made up mermaid diets – tonight, they were down on the beach eating circles of meat called “burgers”, with long sticks in bread called “hot dogs” – she wonders if they’re made from actual dogs, or if it’s just another human quirk. 

They all seem to be watching her closely – the scary lady in black in particular is taking in her every movement, smiling more and more as she observes her. She wonders if they like her. She hopes they do.   
-  
Jake’s been thinking this a lot recently, but he’s never been happier. He’s disappointed that Holt couldn’t make it down, but there’s something about being with Charles and Rosa and Gina and Terry that lifts his spirits (he’d invited Hitchcock and Scully, only to find out that they’d forgotten about him within a week). 

All day, whenever he and Amy had so much as looked at each other, they’d been giving him knowing looks. 

Towards the end of the night, Rosa pulls him aside, a hint of a smile on her face. 

“I know you said last week that you didn’t want things to get weird with you and Amy, but you’re one of my oldest friends and I’ve never seen you happier than this. You just have to go for it with her.”

“Yeah, I’ve been giving it some thought ever since our call last week and you’re right… I’m gonna tell her how I feel tomorrow and however she reacts, at least it’ll be out there”

If they had looked around the corner, they would’ve seen Seraphina, listening to every word, first growing frustrated and then smirking as a wicked idea to beat the mermaid and renew her magic formed in her brain.   
-  
Day 19

Jake wakes up that morning with a bright smile – when Amy asks why he was beaming, he simply responds: “you”. But he still hasn’t yet yet made his big speech, which he’d been planning out in his head all night – he strolls down to the beach with a spring in his step to see if she’s there. 

When he gets to the long stretch of sand, he can’t see Amy – but Sophia is there, sat on a rock. 

She turns around, looking at him coyly and he realises that she’s singing.

There’s something compelling in her song and the longer he stays standing there, the more entrapped he becomes. 

The sweet melodies tenderly wrap around him, pulling him further and further towards Sophia. He can’t remember why he came to the beach in the first place, his mind becoming foggier and foggier, filled with the music that’s slowly eroding his mind.  
With every step, the grip Sophia has on him becomes tighter and tighter, until all thought has left his brain. He’s transformed to soft clay in her ever-moving hands, losing all awareness and fully bending to her will as she urges him further and further forwards with beckoning motions and sweet notes. 

When he finally arrives at the rock she’s sitting at, he sinks to his knees at her command. She leans over seductively and places a single finger under his chin, sharply snapping his jaw back together where it’s started to go slack and holding up his pale, entranced face. A satisfied smirk forms as she looks into his unblinking, glassed over eyes - then, she places her lips to his and a gold, glittering glow spreads across his skin. As she pulls away, in the one submerged speck of his consciousness that she hasn’t fully melted away, everything fades to black.   
\-   
Amy had never felt lighter than she did walking back from the market, where she’d just picked up some flowers for Jake. She’s decided that today is going to be the big day – the day where she finally tells him that she loves him. She thinks almost obsessively about what his reaction might be – will he feel the same, will his face light up with joy? Or would he be horrified, or think she’s insane? There’s only one way to find out – so she heads to the stretch between their house and the beach, hoping to spot him. Then, she does.  
He’s walking along the beach holding hands with Sophia, beaming at their neighbour with a loving gaze. Her heart rips in two as tears begin to flow down her face for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry! Also, credit to @397BartonStreet for coming up with the idea of Amy's damaged powers and the idea of making the Siren's human form Sophia


	5. Chapter 5

Day 27 

When the screams from the shipwreck she’d caused as a child had filtered through the water, breaking her heart and her powers, Amy had thought she would never feel a worse pain. 

Now, she realised she’d been so, so wrong. 

After a week of Jake being besotted with Sophia, she can’t take it anymore. 

His new love is in their house constantly and their giggly kisses and embraces slowly tear away at her. If she’s not at theirs, he’s at hers and she’s alone. She tries her best to smile and be happy for him. He barely even notices she’s there anymore. 

And all of this is marred by confusion – had they been together the whole time? How long had he been interested in Sophia? 

Why had pretended to love her?

She‘s so worn down by the pain and the thought of her inevitable doom only brings her to further despair. 

She’d spent most of the last few days sitting with her legs in the sea, feeling the familiar tides wash over her legs in repetitive movements. And that’s where she sits now, trying to wash it all away.

Suddenly, she feels an ice-cold hand wipe away a tear that had fallen halfway down her cheek. Somehow, Seraphina has appeared by her side, swirling her glittering tail in the water. She places an arm around Amy’s shoulder. 

“You poor thing”, she says in sickly sweet tones. “You must be in so much pain”

Amy continues staring out at the water too worn down to even respond. 

“Don’t worry sweetie, I can make it all go away”, the siren then says as she draws out a jagged silver dagger, which glints in the sun. 

“Don’t worry this isn’t for you – this is for him”, she says in response to the panicked alarm that grows on Amy’s face.

“If you have the strength to plunge this into his heart, you can go back to the ocean without owing me anything – and if you want, I can even do a spell to make you forget this ever happened. All that pain you’re feeling right now, it can all disappear. 

“If not, well I’m afraid we’ve already been over that – I bring mermaids who lose my deals back to my cave and they don’t come out. That’s the deal we have. It’s up to you” 

With that she leaves and Amy is left with the dagger in her hand, facing a monstrous choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I’m soooooo sorry that the story is getting so dark, but a happy ending is right around the corner!


	6. Chapter 6

Day 30

Amy softly steps into Jake’s room, holding the dagger. Her heart beats wildly and drops to her stomach when she sees his beautiful features resting whilst he sleeps so, so peacefully. 

She’s not sure if she can bring herself do this. But whenever she decides to back out, the pain inside her heart grips harder and harder until she can’t bear it anymore. 

She has one day left. 

She’d dismissed the idea entirely at first, almost throwing the dagger into the ocean. But as the clock ran down, time and pain had worn her down.

Now, she gently caresses his face and kisses his forehead.

Then, she turns him over onto his back, praying that he won’t wake up.

As she holds the dagger over his chest, her arm begins to tremble. 

In spite of herself, she drinks in every detail of his face and she’s hit with a flood of joyful memories of the past month pre-Sophia. 

The warm glow that had settled in her stomach as they’d watched endless movies together.

How perfectly his hand had fit into hers. 

The way they’d danced that night, when she’d known she could never willingly leave his side. 

She can’t do it. 

No matter the cost, she realises now that she could never lay a finger on the man she loves so, so deeply. 

She’d sacrifice her life for his a million times over.

She collapses to the floor in defeat, hot tears streaming down her face. 

“You’ve won”, she mouths silently in twisted agony. 

“You’ve won” 

 

A split second and she’s returned to her mermaid form in Seraphina’s lair. 

“I love making smug little mermaids weep”, Seraphina says as an evil smirk crosses her features. 

Then, her sickly sweet veneer returns in an instant, as she wraps Amy in her arms. 

“It’s ok ... it’ll all be over soon...”, she whispers in her ear. 

As enticing notes start to fill her ears and take hold, she surrenders almost immediately, too weak to fight the siren’s song.

-

 

Amy wakes up groggily at at the top of the cave, a large cauldron below her filled with a shimmering light pink liquid.

Her head grows light as she’s drawn towards the swirling potion, entranced by its warm glow.

“Pretty...” she mumbles in a slow and child-like tone, an inane smile growing on her face.

A slight giggle escapes her as she moves towards it, reaching out a hand. 

Seraphina gloats smugly as she watches on. 

“Did you like my human form by the way? Certainly seems like Jake did – just one little love spell and he was mine. He was as easy to play with that morning as you are now...” 

Something clears in Amy’s head at the sirens’ words. Memories begin to stir inside of her addled mind. 

...One little love spell...

...My human form...

...If magic is used on land, the deal will default...

... one little love spell...

... the deal will default...

... one little spell... 

As her fingers are about to graze the liquid, she stops, speaking in a whisper. 

“No... magic...” 

Slowly, the world begins to come back into focus.

“No magic... deal defaults...” 

At that, Amy’s senses return fully and she sees that she’s actually hovering above viscously bubbling black tar. She moves away with her arms crossed, the spell fully broken.

“You said that if magic was used and the other person found out...that the deal would automatically default... you just invalidated your own deal!”

Seraphina claps slowly and sarcastically.

“Nice job, mermaid – but you’re forgetting one thing”

“And what’s that?”

She smirks.

“You’ll still swim into that cauldron if I want you to” 

As the siren starts a powerful song, Amy once again feels herself go limp. But then, something deep within her core pushes hard against Seraphina’s control, ripping through her as she lets out a powerful cry, all of her pain turning to fire. 

Something within heals and soon she’s blasting down the cave walls with a force she’d never thought possible as she continues to scream. Rocks fly everywhere. Potions smash and scatter from shelves, forming an unstoppable bright glowing vortex of colour, bubbles and sand.

As the water around her finally slows down, she sees that Seraphina has crumbled to dust. 

“I guess my powers did heal over”, Amy says casually, before swimming back up to the surface to find Jake, nonchalantly kicking up the siren’s remains with her tail as she goes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this fic is over already! Be warned that there is so much fluff and cheese in this last chapter ;) also, points if you can spot the reference to another iconic mermaid movie

Jake wakes up in a slow haze as Amy gently shakes him awake, a nervous look crossing her features. He wonders how on earth he ended up in bed from the beach. 

The beach.

He jumps up, startled as fear starts to grip him, the events of that morning coming back in vague flashes. 

The music gently embracing and then viciously gripping him. Being pulled further and further forward by some mysterious force. A cold finger underneath his chin. Everything going black. 

His fear only increases when he realises that there’s nothing beyond that point. 

“Sophia… the beach… what happened?”, he asks Amy in a trembling voice as she runs a comforting hand down his arm. 

“It’s ok, I’ll explain everything-”

“You can talk now?”, he exclaims, his voice going up an octave in further shock.

“Like, I said, I’ll explain everything – but first, there’s something I need to show you… now, I’m going to have to take you back down to the beach to show you this… is that ok?” 

He nods, not knowing how else to respond. 

“Oh and one more thing – you have to promise me you won’t freak out too much”

“Ok”, he says calmly, wondering what on earth could be in store. 

-  
When they get to the beach, Amy asks him to stay still and runs towards the sea.

As she leaps into the water, his shock grows at what he sees. 

 

Her legs turn to a sparkling orange tail. 

As her head pops up out of the water, he can see worry etched on her face. 

He can only stutter in shock.

“You’re… you’re a…”

“I am”, she says with a quiet affection. 

“Is that ok?”, she asks quietly. 

“Ames”, he says softly as he comes closer to the water, reaching out to gently touch her face.

“This is all so, so, mind-blowingly crazy, but of course it is. I love you. More than you could ever possibly know. I love you no matter what you are, or where you are. I know it’s only been a month, but I love you so much it’s insane. And I don’t  
think anything could ever stop me from loving you”

She beams tearfully at that.

“I love you too. So, so much. That’s what brought me here. That’s also something I need to explain.”

-

She pulls herself back up to the beach, regaining her legs in the process. He sits and listens intently while she tells her story. 

“I’d never been fully happy underwater. Mermaids live by such strict rules, travelling in packs and not even leaving our reefs alone… I used to sit and read all these books about the human world and fantasise about what it was like, making up all these stories about a life I could never have. Then, you had that sailing accident and I saw you couldn’t swim- 

“Wait, you were the woman who saved me? I thought I hallucinated that…”, he says, pieces starting to fit together. She shakes her head before continuing. 

“After I rescued you… I just couldn’t stop thinking about you. Then I was pulled into the cave of a siren…”

-

“So, how are you handling all of this?”, she asks as she finishes her story. 

He sighs at that, overwhelmed. 

“I don’t know, I mean it’s a lot to process. Its not every day you find out the woman you love is a fictional creature…”

She takes mock offence at that. “We are not fictional – we’re discreet.”

“I mean there’s been enough media, you’re not that discreet”

“Hey, did you believe any of it was real before today?”

“Fair point, fishstick”

She elbows him at that, their laughter echoing through the air. 

After a pause, he speaks again. 

“So, how come you can switch between worlds now?”

“Honestly, I don’t know exactly how – it must be a residual effect of the spell. When I first swam back up to the shore, I had no idea if I was going to get legs again. But I tried to pull myself up and it worked. I even went back and forth like 20 times to check that it wasn’t going to wear off and it didn’t” 

“I’m glad”, he says warmly. 

Their hearts burst and then become one as they finally kiss. 

 

One year later

 

“Where are you taking me?”, she says, giggling as Jake guides her with his hand.

“It wouldn’t be a surprise then, would it silly?” 

“I guess not”, she concedes. 

“Can I open my eyes now?”, she says as she feels them come to a stop. 

“Wait just a second… Jake says, as if he’s preparing something. 

“Ok… you can open them…now.”

She gasps at what she sees. 

They’re on the beach where they first met. And Jake is down on one knee, holding a sparkling ring. 

“Ames, this year with you has been the happiest of my life. I know it’s not been that long, but when I’m with you… everything is just…right. And I know that I don’t ever want this to end. You’re my dream girl. You’re my forever. So, Amy, will you marry me?” 

They embrace as she tearfully nods, at the start of the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the help of @jake-and-ames on Tumblr, I've been slowly plotting out a sequel to this fic - but for now, this is goodbye to this universe! Thanks so much for all your support and comments and I hope you enjoyed this last chapter.


End file.
